This invention relates to urinary devices, particularly, to a disposable urinary device for use by a female to facilitate urination from a standing position.
Often times, females may find themselves in circumstances where urinating from a upright position is desirable and perhaps necessary. Many public facilities are unsanitary for use by females or may not be available. Females in today's society are also particularly conscious of contagious diseases which may be transmitted from contact with unsanitary toilet facilities. This is particularly true for facilities used by large numbers of individuals, for example, portable toilet facilities at a musical concert, sporting event or the like. The risk of contracting a contagious disease during such circumstances, particularly for a female who must normally contact the toilet seat to urinate, is perceived to be very high.
On occasion a female may be required to submit a urine specimen for medical testing or the like. This is often difficult for a female to accomplish without soiling her body or clothing. Urine specimens are normally collected in small bottles or containers which are usually not adapted for convenient use by a female in directing urine into the specimen container. For most females, it is awkward and difficult to gather a urine specimen in such a container without splashing urine on the body or clothing.
The desirability for a urinary device to aid a female to urinate from an upright position has been recognized in the prior art. Various devices, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,329,973 (Bobbe), 4,608,046 (Towfigh), 4,681,573 (McGovern, et al.) and 4,751,751 (Reno) are representative of prior art attempts to provide a solution to a problem which is often encountered by females.
The cup-like device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,329,973 is open at the top end and closed at the bottom end. In use, the device is pressed directly against the body and positioned carefully to cover the opening of the urinary tract, the capacity of the device being adequate for a single use. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,046 the urinary aid includes an end which is insertable between the labia. Hand squeezing opens the insertable end of the urinary aid to form a urine receptive configuration which spread the labia as the device is pressed against the urinary meatus.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,573 the urinary device comprises a flat blank which may be folded to form a conical-like urinary device. The device must be properly positioned and carefully held to cover the opening of the urinary tract during use. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,751 the funnel like urinary device includes an upper end which is curved to envelope the exterior of the female vaginal area and a lower end portion formed into a spout-like shape.
Thus, while attempts have been made in the past to provide urine collecting or directing devices for female use, in general these devices have required a learning process and skill in handling for proper usage. These devices are bulky and in some instances require the user to assemble the funnel-like device from a flat blank which if not properly erected will tend to leak and will not achieve the desired result. Some of these devices have been designed for reuse. These reusable devices must therefore be cleaned after each use and stored in a handbag or the like for subsequent use. Such devices are awkward, unsanitary and inconvenient to use, particularly after initial use whereupon cleaning the device is required.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a disposable urinary device for use by females which is compact and convenient to use. The urinary device of the present invention requires no assembly and is easily properly positioned and secured for use with two fingers.